Bowditch brings Eva Cassidy to life in Brand New Production

Hailed as The Songbird, her music topped the charts on three continents after her tragic death at the age of 33. Celebrated today as one of the world’s most soul-stirring singers, she left a legacy of extraordinary arrangements of ballads, sung with her hauntingly beautiful voice.

Hailed as The Songbird, her music topped the charts on three continents after her tragic death at the age of 33. Celebrated today as one of the world’s most soul-stirring singers, she left a legacy of extraordinary arrangements of ballads, sung with her hauntingly beautiful voice.Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Fields of Gold, and Songbird, … just some of the tunes associated with this voice of gold.

I am writing, of course, about Eva Cassidy (1963-1996), the woman who was barely recognised on the international music scene when she was alive. But when the BBC played Somewhere Over The Rainbow four years after her death, Eva Cassidy’s records shot to the top of the charts and they are still selling to this day.

In August 2011, Australian audiences will have to chance to experience EVA – Tales from The Life of Eva Cassidy, at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre. ARIA Award winning singer songwriter Clare Bowditch (pictured)
will star on stage, in this stunning new production.

The show will provide an intimate portrayal of Eva Cassidy’s life and loves, interwoven with 18 of her breathtaking songs that made her one of the most loved singers of her generation.

Bowditch co-wrote the show and is deeply affected by the music and life of Eva Cassidy.

“I remember the first time I heard Eva sing, and the thing that affected me most was the purity of her voice. I was deeply affected by it, which shocked me, mainly because she was singing a cover-version of a song that I didn’t even realise I liked! It made me curious about her life. When I found out that she died at the age of 33, the mystery of how her songs became to be so popular, and how we heard about her at all, began to intrigue me,” says Bowditch.

Bowditch tells the story as only a fellow artist could – with passion and innate knowledge.

“The Eva Cassidy story is not only the tale of Eva Cassidy, but also a broader discussion-piece about the very nature of fame. Could it be that our obsession with ‘modern day celebrities’ is really just a guise for the larger search for meaning? Many of us yearn to be ‘special’. What Eva’s story shows us is that ‘special’ is often found hiding in the most ‘normal’ of human beings. That’s what we hope to remind people of with this show,” says Bowditch.

Co-Producer Simon Myers is excited to present the story of Eva Cassidy – one of the most lauded musicians of her generation.

“Eva is a truly unique musician. She lived for the love of song, yet was never alive to experience the high acclaim and international fame that came after her death. Because of this there are so few images of her, and it is the power of her music that makes us remember her most,” says Myers.

EVA – Tales from The Life of Eva Cassidy is spearheaded by a highly lauded production team. As well as penning The Man in Black, co-writer Jim McPherson is also responsible for 2010’s hit biographical show The Ultimate Rock ‘n’ Roll Jam Session. The team also comprises Simon Myers as Executive Producer (The Man in Black/The Ultimate Rock ’n’ Roll Jam Session) Andrew Barker as Producer (The Man in Black/The Ultimate Rock ’n’ Roll Jam Session) and Jodi Gallagher as Director (The Ultimate Rock ’n’ Roll Jam Session).

EVA – Tales from The Life of Eva Cassidy also features gifted Australian musician and songwriter Ashley Naylor and the incredible Blues Alley Band.

The show opens at The Athenaeum Theatre on Tuesday 9 August, for a limited 2 week season.

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin has written 1,521 articles on AussieTheatre | Read more articles by Erin James